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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. land — to come down
  3. clip — a video
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — a country
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chip — to eat
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. swing — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. land — ground
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rash — a series
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bank — of a river
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com